Breaking Glass — A Review.

1st December, 2024: Breaking Glass.

The Introduction.

Right … 

I think I make a break in tradition: and not open this piece with a video introduction.

Why do work when I don’t need to?

Especially when I have to get up in the morning!

At any rate … ?

It’s early on a Sunday night: and I have a film I’ve been meaning to watch for some time.

The 1980, Hazel O’Connor vehicle that is Breaking Glass.

Let’s hope the film is better than the trailer …

~≈🍿≈~

1st December, 2024.

Part One: the Summary.

Breaking Glass opens by showing us Kate Crowley (Hazel O’Connor) singing “Writing on the Wall” … whilst putting stickers for her next gig on the windows of a London tube train.

And — when she meets wannabe promoter, Danny (Phil Daniels) — persuaded to sneak him into her next gig.

Danny’s immediate response?

Is to guarantee Kate will make a fortune … if she replaces her band, and hires him as her manager.

The auditions for her new band goes well: seeing Tony and Dave (Mark Wingett and Gary Tibbs) taken on as lead and bass guitarist, heroin addicted saxophonist, Ken (Jonathan Pryce) and the thuggish Mick* (Peter-Hugo Daly) as the band’s drummer.

The band’s career … ?

Isn’t impressive, at first: consisting of several underpaid gigs in a local pub, run by a landlord (Ken Campbell) who is distinctly underwhelmed by both the band, Kate’s singing, and the fights that start whenever the band plays.

It’s only after a disastrous gig that’s hit by a power cut that a pair of promoters — Fordyce and Chris Campbell (Mark Wing-Davey and Charles Wegner) — are impressed enough to offer the band a record contract.

There’s only a few problems.

The publishing contract the band has to sign is — as Danny puts it — feudal.

The promoters from Overlord Record seriously want Danny out of the way.

And … ?

The Rock Against 1984 benefit gigs the record company wants the band to play doesn’t go as well as expected.

As a young man is stabbed to death in front of Kate, as the anti-racism activists and Neo-Nazis riot … all as a result of one provocative number …

It’s after this Altamont-like moment, and the band’s increasing success … that Kate finds things starting to go wrong … 

~≈🍿≈~

2nd December, 2024.

Part Two: Thoughts.

So … having watched this film … what did I make of Breaking Glass?

And why did I want to want to watch a vintage film?

Why I wanted to watch Breaking Glass is a simple thing to answer.

I’d grown up in the late 1970s and early 1980s: so I can remember hearing songs from the film being played on the radio: “Give Me An Inch”, “Will You?” and “Eighth Day” in particular.

“Give Me An Inch” was an enjoyable piece.

“Will You?” was and is one of the best love songs ever written.

You know that moment in a relationship?

The moment where you and someone special at theirs, you’re having tea, cake, and sparkling conversation … but you’re at that point: where you don’t know if you’re going home or staying the night.

“Will You?” is that song, that moment.

“Eighth Day”, by contrast, was an apocalyptic delight for a twelve-year old science fiction fan: especially one that hadn’t heard of Asimov’s Frankenstein Complex.

Hearing the two songs as singles, back in the 1980s?

Then, more recently, as songs on the soundtrack LP?

Was quite something.

But seeing the two O’Connor penned tunes in their place in the film?

Seeing “Will You?” highlighted at various point an Danny and Kate’s messy relationship, seeing “Eighth Day” as the climax of the film, and as a metaphor for Kate’s eventual breakdown … ?

A metaphor with a lighting rig spelling out the word “Help” … ?

Seeing all this was something I waited to do: as I heard the music, but never saw the film until last night.

Was it worth the wait … ?

~≈🍿≈~

Part Three: Observations.

Before I tell you that … ?

I should tell you a few things I noticed.

Obviously, the lighting rig telling us of Kate’s breakdown is one thing.

But … ?

Breaking Glass is a film with a lot going on.

For one thing … ?

I don’t remember O’Connor have a long music career: at least, not one I paid much attention to.

But the songs she penned for this film are worth listening to, and fit well in a post-punk equivalent to A Star Is Born.

What you get, musically, fits the story being told.

That story … ?

Is very well told: and it’s one I feel may have influenced other music films.

More to the point, though?

Did Breaking Glass reflect the times it’s set in?

I couldn’t tell you: although I remember those tube trains seen in the opening and closing scenes of the film.

And I know Rock Against Racism — the activist campaign the organisers of the Rock Against 1984 demo are modelled on — still has a legacy.

As do the Neo-Nazi skinheads that cause Kate can company such problems: their descendants, groups like the EDL, or Britain First, causing as many issues the old National Front.

I can still remember seeing NF graffiti around Brentwood.

So yes: the film’s both a product and reflection of its time.

~≈🍿≈~

Part Four: Faces.

There’s a few other things I should mention, here.

Quite simply … the faces.

I know saying that makes me sound slightly odd.

But that I mean is simply this: that there’s a lot of British actors and musicians in Breaking Glass that I recognised: as will other people.

There’s a minor character called Tony O’Brian — the first person to audition for Kate’s band — who’s in the film for about five minutes … and played by an uncredited actor.

I don’t know who it is: but he looks bloody familiar.

There’s more faces who I do — or did — recognise.

As an example?   The promoter, Andy, who Danny accuses of offering a feudal contract?   Will be recognised by Casualty fans: as Derek Thompson, the actor who played series regular, Charlie Fairhead.

The pub landlord that crops up: and tries stealing the bands one good guitar?   Was the late Ken Campbell: actor, director, experimental theatre impresario … and the man who launched the careers of Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Sylvester McCoy, David Rappaport, Bill Nighy, and lord knows who else.

Actually?   Jim Broadbent makes an appearance in the film: as an especially snotty station porter.

And Gary Tibbs — the actor who played Dave the Bassist — is possibly best remembered … as the guitarist for Adam and the Ants!

Oh, and Fourdyce, the promoter Danny blackmails?

Is played by Mark Wing-Davey: who Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fans will remember as Zaphod!

The fact Dodi Fayed — the lover of Princess Diana, the lover who died with her — put up money for Breaking Glass?

The fact Dodi’s father was an uncredited producer for the film?

The fact that Tony Visconti was the film’s musical director?

The fact Jonathan Ross, Boy George and Rat Scabies are uncredited extras?

Is almost incidental.

I could go on.

~≈🍿≈~

Part Five: Notes.

I could go on …

No, really, I could.

But I should be closing this piece.

Should, I say.

But not before a last few thoughts.

Did you know there’s at least two versions of Breaking Glass doing the rounds?

There’s a UK version: which is the one I saw last night, and the one that ends with Danny visiting Kate in a psychiatric hospital.

And a US version: that — as far as I can tell — ends with Kate performing “Eighth Day”.

Which meant a couple of things.

First?

I didn’t want to see the US version of the film.

It struck me the US cut tells us Kate has sold out: and is part of the music industry machine she initially wanted no put of, a machine that treated her no better than it treats others, a machine that’s literally ignoring her cries for help.

Whereas the UK version tells us Kate gets out of it.

Gets out damaged, hurt, in extreme pain … but gets out: and to a place where she can start healing.

It’s got a hopeful ending, in other words.

Secondly?

I had to hunt for Breaking Glass.

Or, at least, the UK cut of Breaking Glass.

I could not find a version of the film on any streaming service, and could only find the US cut on torrent tracking sites.

But finally managed to track down a DVD copy of the British version on Amazon.

It’s here, if you’re interested.

That DVD cost £18·99 at the time of purchase, and looked — once I’d used MakeMKV and HandBrake to turn the thing into an .mp4 I could watch on my AppleTV 4k — pretty damn good, on screen.

My point is this.

That the UK cut was my preferred cut: and I had to hunt for it.

~≈🍿≈~

Part Six: And Finally …

So … finally … ?

Was waiting all this time to see a forty-something film worth it?

Is the UK cut of Breaking Glass worth your time?

Was — or is — one hour and forty minutes worth of Breaking Glass a good film?

Yes.

I pressed the play button on a remote control, last night: concerned that I’d get bored, and turn off the film after ten minutes.

I needn’t have been concerned.

Breaking Glass is a riveting piece of work: and given the music industry’s reputation for treating creative talents, badly?

It’s well worth my time, well worth yours … and — given the substance-related deaths of people like Amy Winehouse and Liam Payne? — a very relevant watch.

Breaking Glass.

★★★★

*        Drummers† are usually formidable musicians: but usually end up as the butt of a lot of jokes … or seen as cavemen.   Unfortunately, Mick — at his funniest — is a caveman.

†        Just to get it out of my system?

        A drummer decides he’s had enough of being a drummer: and want’s to play a new instrument.

        He goes into a shop, goes up to the counter, and says “I want to be a guitar god.   I want to be Hendrix!   May!   Johnson!   Can you help me in my quest?”

        The chap behind the counter says “You’re a drummer, aren’t you?”

        The drummer says “My gods!   How did you know?”

        The chap behind the counter says “This is a kebab shop … … … ”